BeSpotted F1 Savannah & African Serval Program™

Natural Wanderers...

A Serval in nature will roam up to 4 square miles which it claims as its own territory so common sense would tell you that the "captive" environment in which they live will need to be well thought out, escape proof, stimulating and farily large so they can explore and claim it as their own. Enclosures can be costly, time consuming, and the size of area needed for such an enclosure is large so pre-planning for a Servals future home is a must. Some state laws require certain guidelines for the enclosure as well.

Larger spaces are needed...

You will need to make a space for the Serval when you can not properly supervise it or are away from home and a Serval cat may need to live in an outdoor enclosure so keep this is mind when deciding if a Serval is the right cat for you. You must "Serval-proof" any area that the Serval has access to, meaning free of dangers to the cat such as electrical wires, dangerous chemicals, things where a Serval could get its leg caught and sprain or break it, open electric outlets, indigestible materials, etc. This room will serve as a place for you to put the Serval when you are away or at times when you do not want the Serval roaming the home. This is where you should feed and water him.

As the Serval matures the Serval will need an outside/inside facilities with a large enough exercise area to run, and exercise, a pond or pool in which to swim, explore and dive, and an area with lots of climbing possibilities. They need to be able to get out of the elements and heating and cooling need to be provided if you live in a region that has extreme weather. Enclosures have to be ample enough for the cat to get adequate daily exercise and stimulation. Improper housing can lead to behavioral problems and aggression. Servals are larger cats and simply can not be housed in small cages and expected to remain happy, loving and healthy. If you plan on housing a Serval in a small area then you must plan for a cat that is very unhappy and one that will become destructive and a behavioral problem.

Preventing escape through proper fencing, gating, and Serval proof locks...

Servals are notorious escape artists and they will escape from anything that is not totally secure, tied down or properly attached and they will find the smallest of areas to get through and are unlikely to return once having escaped. At all costs, try to prevent the animal from getting loose. Like any animal that gets outside the confines of it's enclosure and in an unfamiliar environment they get scared and spooky. They run, hide, and bolt from everything and everyone, including their owners under those circumstances.

A Serval on the loose can cause a stir in the neighborhood and with authorities, and in the worst cases someone may think that it is a dangerous animal and shoot it. Strangers trying to assist in catching the Serval will most likely just frighten it more. If you ever are able to locate the Serval once it gets out it can be caught, however it can be quite an ordeal and in the least very stressful for you and the cat! This best case scenario is to avoid the Serval from escaping in the first place and this situation should be avoided at all costs with proper fencing, perimeter fencing and double gating, and keyed locks.

Our servals have had a huge enclosure built for them. It's a huge and expensive under taking. Their serval pen below was constructed to accomdate three servals. The pen is 18'x35'x300'. Servals need large spaces and accomdations to exercise and roam.


©Vickie Ehrlekrona ~ BeSpotted
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